Matthew 18:12-14

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12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. ~ Matthew 18:12-14

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 18. The Bible begins with the fact that God created everything and then Lucifer ruined it. It seems senseless but there is much more to the story than we understand. We have all wrestled with the questions. We have asked, "If God is so powerful and all good, why did He let sin happen in the first place?" We've asked, "If God is truly omnipotent, why didn’t He stop the efforts of the enemy?" In response we could say, "God could have created us as robots to choose His will all the time. But, where is the heart in that?" God created us with a free will that enables us to love Him or to reject Him. Along with the freedom to love Him, God had to give us the freedom to choose not to love Him, otherwise there is no love involved from our standpoint.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?"

The Lord Jesus utilized a very familiar illustration to make His point, the illustration of a shepherd seeking his lost sheep. This story was very familiar to His audience. The idea of God as our shepherd is not a unique theme in the Scriptures. The Old Testament has at least 16 passages in which God is called "shepherd." Throughout the Bible God has sought the lost and He rejoices when a lost sinner recognizes his need for His salvation. God, by nature, is loving and holy. This is what sets Him apart from all other manufactured gods of this world. He, by nature, rejoices when we come to the end of ourselves and we cry out to Him for help. God, the Good Shepherd, sent His Son into this world to redeem us who were wooed by the Holy Spirit to believe that His death on the cross paid the penalty for that which separated us from Him. 

While sheep are mentioned over 400 times in the Bible, God is likened to a shepherd over 100 times. Sheep very easily go astray, and that is why we needed a shepherd. The religious leaders of Israel had no problem seeing the tax-collectors and the sinners as "lost sheep," but they themselves would not embrace that metaphor to describe themselves! Even though, Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, made it clear that all of mankind are like sheep who have been duped and have gone astray from God. 

In biblical culture, the shepherd was always held responsible for each sheep. In fact, if one went missing, the shepherd had to pay for it unless he could prove that it was killed by a predator. This explains why the shepherd has always acknowledged his need to leave the flock with the other shepherds and ardently search for the wayward sheep. For the shepherd, failure to find the lost sheep meant money out of his own pocket, plus the disgrace of being known as a shepherd who failed to protect his sheep. 

The Lord Jesus likened Himself as the Shepherd who ardently seeks out the defenseless one lost sheep. This is what He did the day you and I were found. The Lord Jesus has always cared as much for the one lost sheep as He does for the many sheep that are already safe. When the sheep wander off, they are in danger of being accosted by predators, in danger of falling off the cliffs, in danger of exhaustion and dehydration. In fact, when sheep become afraid, they get very nervous and fearful. They become so despondent and discouraged, they lie down and die if not found by the shepherd. By leaving the ninety-nine sheep, the shepherd provides proof that each animal is dear to Him. 

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray."

In Isaiah 53 we are reminded that all mankind are sheep that have gone astray. Isaiah spoke of how we like those silly animals are prone to wander but he gave the solution for the wandering. God's solution for the sheep going astray was the cross of the Lord Jesus. The illustration used by the Lord Jesus revealed that when the shepherd finds the seventy pound lone lost sheep, he lays it on his shoulders and returns it to its home. The belly of the sheep is put against the back of the shepherd’s neck. The shepherd would then take the four legs, pull them around his neck and take a cord and tie the feet together. The shepherd would rejoice as he walked all the way back home. The whole village waited, wondering if the shepherd would find the lost sheep. If the shepherd found the sheep, the whole town would rejoice. This is a picture of what goes on in heaven when a broken one is found by the Savior. Every time it happens, heaven throws a grand party because the lost has been found.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."  

The Lord Jesus began today's passage with the word "if" which expresses uncertainty. "If" renders the outcome of the Shepherd’s search far from certain. This merely underscores the fact that there is the permissive will of God and the decreed will of God. In this passage we are presented with both. It is not God's decreed will than any perish but some because of His permissive will, do. They do because they reject the will of God. It must be this way, otherwise the human heart is not engaged in the process and we are but robots. Granted, we were dead in our sins and trespasses and we were dead to God. And, had He not moved on us to believe, we would still be dead in our sinful wretchedness. So, we could have rejected Him, made possible by His permissive will.

The word "perish" is used to describe those whose lives have been ruined by believing the lie of the enemy. Since God has this kind of a heart, we must not despise these the little ones who have been duped by the devil whether they are young in age or old. The purpose the Lord Jesus had in mind that day when He told this story was to highlight the joy of God over the return of the wayward. If we have entered into a personal relationship with God, we will long to see the wayward return to the Father. In fact, we will enter the process of pursuing the wayward. This is so because He daily seeks to inculcate His heart into our hearts. We will have His heart for the lost because He has a heart for the lost.

Matthew 18:10-11

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10 Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. ~ Matthew 18:10-11

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 18 where the Lord Jesus has brought a young child in front of His disciples to teach them a very valuable lesson about greatness. The subject of greatness had been introduced earlier due to a discussion the disciples had among themselves as they walked down the road with the Lord Jesus. With the young child standing before them, the Lord Jesus told His disciples what greatness looks like. Greatness is realized in the lives of those who embrace humility. This is why the Lord Jesus called up the little kid who was needy and dependent and humble. Greatness is seen in servants who are learning the dangers of selfishness. 

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."

The word "despise" means "to think little of" or "to think nothing of." Every person has value due to the fact that God created them. It is quite unwise for the believer in Christ to have a dismissive attitude towards others. To despise them is to despise Him. In Philippians 2:3 we read, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." Greatness is realized by those who learn to reject selfish ambition and vain conceit. "Selfish ambition" is to elevate oneself or to put one’s own interests before another. It is a self-above-others approach to life. "Vain conceit" means "empty glory." When the Lord Jesus "made himself nothing," or literally, "emptied Himself," God exalted Him so that every tongue should confess that He is THE Lord. Christ sought not His own glory but that of the Father, and in so doing, He was glorified.

As was the case with the disciples, having been made in the image of God but damaged by sin, we are in need of being transformed. And, through our relationship with the Lord Jesus, we are being changed from the inside out, so that we may be able to value humility and to reflect His glory. But, when we seek our own glory, seeking to establish a reputation for ourselves, we will always arrive on a street called emptiness. This is so because it is fabricated by the self and it renders nothing and has no lasting value. Humility is the key here and it is humility which aids unity among believers. In context, the Lord Jesus mentioned the angels because they are created beings who aid us in our journey through this fallen world. And, when we are being motivated by our own selfishness we hinder the power to be found in our unity which comes out of being a part of the family of God.

Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is served by at least one of God's angels. The writer of Hebrews wrote, "Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve or minister to those of us who are heirs of salvation." This could mean that we each have our own personal angel. The point the Lord Jesus was making is, if children of God are served by God's angels, then we are wise to recognize their value and to treat them with dignity, otherwise, we may be in danger of causing one of these little ones to stumble in their walk with the Lord. 

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost."

This verse explains why it is so important for us to care for all believers because of God's redemptive plan. At the center of God's redemptive plan is the gospel which is the message that God sent His Son into this world in order to save that which was lost. This section in Matthew 18 began with the disciples asking, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” The Lord Jesus answered, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." This is the gospel which is God's unifying message. And, to look down upon anyone is to minimize the gospel.

In Matthew 10:42 we read, "Whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward." 

The quickest road to unhappiness is the highway of Self. And if we get on that highway, we will discover that it is packed. There's a lot of people on it. But, it is a dead end street, going nowhere but to frustration. On the other hand, when we get on the Humble Road, although it's quite lonely, it is the quickest road to real joy that is not daunted by our circumstances. Even when we do the most insignificant for the most insignificant, the attentiveness of God is triggered to the point of reward for all involved. One of those rewards is joy. The wonder of it all is not that angels serve us, but that we recognize the value of servanthood and we then serve others.  

We must not treat others in belittling ways because "in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." This means the angels have the immeasurable privilege of enjoying the immediate presence of God. We do well to resist despising anyone, especially those who seem to be unimpressive. The reason for this is due to the fact that God sent forth His Son to die for us all. There is no way to announce someone's value more than to lay down your life for them. The ally of unity is "humility," which begins with a proper assessment of ourselves as being dependent upon our Creator. When we humble ourselves before God, we will see that we are valuable in His eyes, but no more valuable than anyone else.

Matthew 18:6-9

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6 But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! 8 If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire. ~ Matthew 18:6-9

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 18 where the Lord Jesus continued training His disciples to be His disciples. Earlier, the Lord Jesus had warned the Jewish religious leaders about the sin of loving money. Here, the Lord Jesus turned to His disciples to teach them about loving people. This teaching was prompted by the disciples arguing about who would be the greatest in His kingdom. It was A.H. McNeile who once said, "He will be the greatest who has the least idea that he is great."

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."

Addressing the disciples’ desire to be great, the Lord Jesus turned up the volume on being child-like in our faith. In fact, He repeated three times a warning about causing those young in their faith to stumble. A disciple is in danger of causing a child to sin by not showing him value. And when a disciple is motivated according to God's will, he will value a child. But, if the disciple is motivated by being great in the eyes of people, he will not value the child. The root problem is selfishness, wanting to be great in the eyes of others.

The Lord Jesus referenced a "millstone" which was commonly used to grind wheat into flour. These stones weighed up to 3000 pounds. When hung around anyone's neck, it would take one to the bottom of the sea very fast. The rabbis taught that drowning was only for Gentiles, not for Jews. The Lord Jesus emphasized it would be better to be drowned, instantly, than to hinder the faith of a young believer.

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!"

The word "woe" is used throughout the Bible describing God's impending judgement on those who deliberately cause others to stumble away from the Lord. The word "offense" is the Greek word from which we get our English word scandal. Used fifteen times in the New Testament, this word describes a "snare." In light of the broader context of this chapter, the Lord Jesus identified the root cause of such behavior as pride. 

In Proverbs 29:23 we read, "A man's pride shall bring him low but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit." Once again the root problem is pride and arrogance.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire."

The Lord Jesus was not suggesting we go out and actually cut off our hand, foot, or even pluck out our eye. Interestingly, these three body parts mediate our contact with others. The Lord Jesus here employed hyperbole in order to issue a radical call to separate ourselves from any behavior that may cause us and others to reject Him. Giving safe haven in our souls to the Lord Jesus is the posture that fulfills us the most.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."

We must be serious to not allow sin to define us. Oh yeah, we will sin but we do not have to be defined by sin, it mustn't be our practice. As God has shown His grace to us we must share it with others. Being gracious to others is often the bridge that brings them to the Lord. Our eye represents what we see, our hand what we do, and, our foot where we go. There are places, activities and things we have no business being at, going to or doing. We must be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The fire is analogous of God’s judgment. And, if God did not judge evil, evil would run rampant with no end. In fact, evil would win and we all would be doomed because sin destroys. Extinction would be our ultimate state.

The Lord Jesus referred to Hell more than He did Heaven, and when He spoke of it, He described it as a place that some will go. According to Matthew 10:28, Hell is a place where our bodies and souls will be destroyed. According to 2 Thessalonians 1:9 Hell is a place that is away from the presence of the Lord. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus found in Luke 16, the rich man specifically calls Hell, "a place of torment." This is precisely why the Father sent His beloved Son to this earth so that when we believe in Him we would not perish in the fires of Hell but that we would spend eternity with Him in heaven.

Matthew 18:1-5

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1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. ~ Matthew 18:1-5

Today, we transition into Matthew 18 where the setting is Capernaum, the headquarters of the Lord Jesus and the home of Peter. The disciples had been walking on the road where the Lord Jesus had been teaching and doing miracles. While the disciples were on the road, there began an argument as to which of them would be the greatest in the kingdom of the Lord. It was as if the Lord Jesus said nothing to them about His suffering, His death and His resurrection. 

Soon thereafter, the Lord Jesus would be crucified on the cross of Calvary to pay the penalty created by our sin. By doing so, He shined the spotlight on the age old struggle between pride and humility. God resists the proud because the proud resist God. The heart controlled by pride has no room for confession, it does not repent, and it does not ask for forgiveness. Pride is the hidden reef that shipwrecks those who feed it. This is why the Lord Jesus was in the middle of preparing His disciples for His departure from this earth. The primary tool the Lord uses to prepare all of His followers for those moments we face everyday is discipleship. God's idea of discipleship leads us to the place that we decrease and He increases in our lives. 

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?'"

The lust of the disciples for greatness in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus prompted this question. This only underscores the fact that the world's idea of greatness is not harmonious with the Lord's. His is a culture of selflessness. His culture navigates us to consider the needs of other’s as more important than our own. His way leads us to serve those around us, instead of expecting them to serve us. According to the Lord Jesus, we truly live the abundant life that He promised when we dethrone self and give our will to Him. Greatness in God's kingdom is not relative, it is absolute. Everyone in His kingdom is the greatest. We are great because our greatness is found in Christ's righteousness which is humbling. When God sees us through the lens of His Son, He sees His righteousness applied to us.

In v.2-3 of today's passage we read, "2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.'"

According to the other accounts of this story, when the disciples saw the people bringing their children to the Lord Jesus, they rebuked them. In Mark 10:14 the Lord Jesus said in response, "Permit the children to come to Me. Don't hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. " 

At that moment the Lord Jesus picked up a little child because a child was the lowest ranking person in their society. Also, a child is the most dependent among us. He then used the child as an illustration about humility. According to the Lord's culture, a dependent child is the greatest. Like the disciples, we most often have a contrary understanding of greatness than the Lord. In fact, their argument in that house that day revealed their ignorance of the ways of the Lord. Humility is so difficult to lay hold of because we most often learn it through humiliating circumstances. It is only when we see our wickedness that we grow in humility and are favored by God. The conversion needed is that we go from being defined by pride to being defined by humility.

Interestingly, the Lord Jesus did not rebuke the disciples for wanting to be great. He didn't because He made us to desire to succeed at whatever we do. What the Lord Jesus did do was to tell the disciples the true way to greatness. True greatness is not accessed by seeking to be first, it is accessed by a willingness to be last. According to God's culture, greatness is when we are defined by Him which will always lead us to the ambition of pleasing Him.

In v.4-5 of today's passage we read, "4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me."

True greatness is championed when we serve others and expect nothing in return. True greatness desires to serve in the name of the Lord Jesus who has won our hearts through His mercy and grace. Serving those most deemed insignificant comes on the heels of being defined by God. But, our problem is we are relentless worshipers of self. It is our nature to worship ourselves. But, when we come into a personal relationship with Christ, He teaches us to be defined by those things which are contrary to our natural way of thinking and living. His culture is dominated by the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

According to the culture of the Lord Jesus, being first means being last. And being last means being a servant. But the disciples had not shirked this world's culture to the point that they were no longer defined by it. Like them, the world has convinced us that we can do acts of service and still not be servants. In the culture of God, servanthood is a must for the disciple of Christ. And, if our intended outcome is personal recognition, we will not be defined by God as servants. True servanthood begins with selflessness which will seek the good of others. This only happens as we are engaged in a meaningful relationship with the Lord Jesus who fully understands our greatest enemy is within us.

Matthew 17:24-27

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24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?" 25 He said, "Yes." And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?" 26 Peter said to Him, "From strangers." Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you." ~ Matthew 17:24-27

Today, we conclude our study of Matthew 17 where the Lord Jesus was engaged in the process of discipling the twelve disciples. As pointed out before, the most important concept taught in this chapter is that we listen to the Lord Jesus. That we listen to His definitions of things and that we allow those concepts to govern our thinking and our choices. As indicated in today's passage, God always tailor makes His curriculum for each disciple. The key is that we are being defined by Him and we know that we are being defined by Him when we obey Him.

In v.24 of today's passage we read, "When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, 'Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?'"

After their five month trip all around the areas where the Gentiles lived, the Lord Jesus and His twelve disciples arrived back in Capernaum which was located on the north most point of the Sea of Galilee. It was there where Peter grew up and the Lord Jesus did most of His preaching, teaching, and healings. After arriving in Capernaum, the tax collectors asked Peter, who was probably returning from running an errand by himself, if the Lord Jesus had paid the Temple tax which was an OT requirement issued in Exodus 30. This tax was collected from everyone twenty years old and older. It was collected for the construction and maintenance of the Temple.

In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, "25 He said, 'Yes.' And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, 'What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?' 26 Peter said to Him, 'From strangers.' Jesus said to him, 'Then the sons are free.'"

When Peter entered the house, the Lord Jesus asked Peter, "From whom do kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?" This is the way of discipleship, ask a question creating an internal process which will ultimately deliver an answer. Notice the Lord Jesus asked Simon the question even though the Lord Jesus changed his name to Peter. After Peter responded,  the Lord Jesus said, "Then the sons are free." 

The point is God is our Father and we are His children. In fact, we are joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. God doesn’t take from His children, He gives to His children. And, just as this principle is true for human kings and their children, it's also true for God and His children. In saying this, the Lord Jesus made the point that not everyone who is a child of Israel is in fact a child of God. Only those in right relationship with the Lord Jesus are in right relationship with God. As the Lord Jesus was there to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, the temple tax was now obsolete for the disciples. 

When the Lord Jesus asked Peter the question, He referred to Him as "Simon" which means listening. As we have mentioned before, the theme of this chapter is listening. The one we listen to the most is the one who defines us the most. The word "listen" shows up over 400 times in the Bible, and in many of those, God is pleading with His people to listen, or reprimanding them for not listening. We were created to know God in a deep and personal way. He never intended for our relationship with Him to be distant, formal or mechanical. He has a plan for each of us that is unique, incredible, adventurous and significant. And most of all, He created us to have fellowship with Him.

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."

So as to not to be offensive, the Lord Jesus ordered Peter to go fishing without bait just a hook. And, once he caught a fish, Peter would discover enough money to pay the tax for both of them. Through this incident the Lord Jesus discipled Peter to always seek to give no unnecessary offense, especially to those with whom he differ. The tax was not the issue, having a sincere heart not to offend others was the issue. Although the Lord Jesus couldn't control whether He was an offense to others or not, here He was teaching Peter to avoid the offense if it were at all possible.

This miracle reminds us of God’s grace in paying the price for our redemption through the cross of His Son. This coin reminds us of what the Lord Jesus did when He died for the penalty for our sins. This story pictures Matthew's journey with God and our journey with God and how His grace has always sustained us. This story reveals the curriculum of God for the disciple and the fact that God does not require His disciple to pass the course before he has enrolled in it. Mercifully, God does not allow us to choose our own curriculum. God’s curriculum, tailor-made for each of us, will always include lessons we wish we could avoid. But, His wisdom is always perfect. He uses everything, the good and the bad, our successes and our failures to teach us of His kingdom. Increasingly, His discipleship program is inculcating His culture into our hearts and souls. And, we are wise to let Him do this, even when it is painful.

Matthew 17:22-23

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22 Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up." And they were exceedingly sorrowful. ~ Matthew 17:22-23

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 17 where the Lord Jesus taught His disciples on how to be disciples. Discipleship happens when we walk through life learning to listen to Him more and more closely. Discipleship happens when we live in harmony with God's definitions of all things. Discipleship happens when having been taught by God, His influence spills out through our yielded lives into the lives of others. Essential for discipleship to happen is that we listen to the Lord and give safe haven to His truth in our souls. 

In Ecclesiastes 5:1 we read, "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know they do wrong." 

In today's passage the Lord Jesus reiterated to His disciples that He was headed to Jerusalem to deal a death blow to sin and death by dying on the cross Himself. Although the cross was the means by which the Lord Jesus conquered sin and death, for the disciple the cross teaches us the concept of death to self. The reality is that dying to self is essential for discipleship and it is through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that the disciple is positioned to be most effective for God's glory in this world. 

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, 'The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.'"

This was the second of three times the Lord Jesus told His disciples that He would go to Jerusalem to die and be raised from the dead. He reiterated this fact before He dove into the details of discipleship. He did this to show a clear difference between the believer's justification and sanctification. Christ's cross ushered in our justification while our cross ushers in His sanctification. Our justification and our sanctification must be kept separate because if we teach that our sanctification factors into our justification, then we would be guilty of heresy. We cannot earn God's favor and to teach such is false teaching. Whereas our justification makes us right in God's eyes, His sanctification is the process whereby we learn to die to our selfish desires and thus allowing Him to define us. Discipleship is one tool God uses in our lives to deliver His sanctification into the life of the yielded believer. Justification is a one-time act, never to be repeated, whereas, sanctification is an on-going process that will not end until the Lord calls us to Himself.  

The word "betrayed" is the very same word used later to describe the betrayal of the Lord Jesus by Judas. This, of course, would not be a surprise to the Lord Jesus for He knew that the eternal status of every human who has ever lived and will ever live was dependent upon Him being judged for all sin on His cross. After the Lord Jesus told the disciples about His death and resurrection, they struggled to understand it. They couldn't comprehend it because they clung to the idea that during His first coming He would set up His eternal kingdom in this world. His kingdom in this world. They ignored the teachings of Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 among many others that underscore the fact that during His first coming the Lord Jesus would deal a death blow to sin and death by dying Himself on the cross of Calvary. It will be at His second coming that the Lord Jesus will usher in His eternal kingdom.

At this point, the disciples simply were not ready for a suffering Christ, especially One who would die. The disciples undoubtedly also struggled to understand the fact that He would be raised from the dead. Through this teaching, the Lord Jesus made it very clear to His disciples that there is no discipleship without the secondary teaching of the cross. It is the cross that teaches us God's ways and aids us in our growth as His disciples. In order for our faith in the Lord Jesus to grow, we must be trained by the Lord to say "no" to the evil desires that are still in us and which beckon us daily.

According to Mark's account the Lord Jesus said to His disciples, "Listen carefully" before He taught them that He was "going to be delivered into the hands of men." Once again, listening to the Lord Jesus is the main idea in this chapter. Listening is one of the easiest things we will ever do, and yet, one of the hardest. In Romans 10:17 we read, "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." This type of hearing is not easy because as disciples we are being trained in a culture that is not normal for us. Our default mode, even though we have been born again, is the flesh. The answer is hearing Him with faith which accentuates the achievements and the life of the Lord Jesus. It is through His grace that the disciple is sustained in the faith. 

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up." And they were exceedingly sorrowful."

Here, the Lord Jesus reiterated a second time that He would be killed in Jerusalem. The disciples did not understand that His atoning death had been highlighted throughout the Old Testament sacrificial system. For some reason they did not connect the dots. As we read in Hebrews 9:22, "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin." The death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary was designed of God from eternity past to provide for undeserving and sinful man a personal relationship with God. It was through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead that the deal was sealed. His death happened because in His body God judged sin and rendered it nullified. His life overcame death on the behalf of all who would confess Him as our Savior and Lord. 

Interestingly, the response of the disciples to this teaching this time was entirely different than it was the first time. In Matthew 16:26 all of the disciples responded indignantly at the words of the Lord Jesus vowing to not allow it to happen. But, this time the disciples were "exceedingly sorrowful." The disciples were now learning to listen to the Lord who speaks to us through His Word, through our conscience, and through His creation. The disciples were yet to learn that the hardest and most difficult messages that God gives us come through the most unwanted moments of life. They would soon learn that His most profound message would come on the heels of being plunged into their greatest grief over His violent death on the cross of Calvary.

Matthew 17:19-21

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19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.'" ~ Matthew 17:19-21

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 17 where the Lord Jesus had been up on Mount Hermon with three of His disciples. While up there, the Lord Jesus had a conversation with Moses and Elijah after which the Lord Jesus alone was enveloped in the glory of the Lord. It was then that God the Father spoke out of heaven saying, "This is my Beloved Son, listen to Him." Listening to the Lord Jesus is the emphasis in this chapter. The presence of Moses and Elijah emphasized the idea that the Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. While this was happening, down in the valley the other nine disciples could not fulfill the request of a desperate father to deliver his son from a demon. Perhaps this happened because the disciples were not listening to the right One.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why could we not cast it out?'"

Mount Hermon illustrated the bigness of God while the disciples' inability to deliver the boy from the demon illustrated the smallness of their faith. It was their failure that prompted the disciples to ask the Lord why they couldn't "force the demon out?" Faith is not a substance, meaning the more we have the more power we have. Nor is faith a kind of magic to be manipulated. God is not a servant who does man's selfish biddings. Faith is confidence in the God of the Bible to do what He has promised in His Word. In Psalm 37:4 we read, "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." As we delight ourselves in the Lord His will becomes more and more important to us. This is why the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 40:8, "It is my delight to do your will, O God." When we pray to God we find ourselves finding more delight in His word as we bend our will to His. After all, even though prayer is conversation with God, it is ultimately the bowing of our will to His will. When we position our will in accordance with God's will, His will will comes to pass. C.S. Lewis once said, "We say that we believe God to be omniscient; yet a great deal of prayer seems to consist of giving him information." 

In v.20-21 of today's passage we read, "20 So Jesus said to them, 'Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.'"

Earlier the Lord Jesus sent His disciples out and gave them power to deliver people from demons. The disciples saw great results but here they had gotten to a point where they lacked not quantity of faith, but quality of faith. The frustration and the fear of the disciples prevented them from placing their full trust in the Lord Jesus. Due to the fact that the disciples encountered a task that seemed to them to be impossible, they waned in their faith. This was clearly the meaning the Lord Jesus intended, because he concluded for those who have the faith of a mustard seed, all things are possible. 

Through the use of the illustration of the mustard seed, the Lord Jesus was not saying if the disciples had more faith, they could pray and impossible things would happen. The disciples failed to cast out the demon because they lacked faith in the Lord. Their problem was unbelief. When the disciples encountered this demon and were not immediately successful, their faith wasn't qualitatively up to the challenge. Their initial lack of success ushered in the sin of unbelief.

God can and will move mountains when we have faith in Him and we seek Him according to His will. The parable of the mustard seed illustrates that something small like the faith of the disciples in the Lord Jesus which was known to waver has the ability to overcome impossibilities. The emphasis must be on the power and the will of God rather than the disciples' faith. The disciples didn’t need an abundance of faith, all they needed was just a little bit placed in the Lord Jesus. It was clearly the Lord's will to deliver the boy from the demon. God moves most powerfully when we believe and place our trust in Him in accordance with His will. The key is that our faith is placed in Him which demonstrates we desire His will to come. All we need is mustard seed faith in a big God.

The Lord Jesus then said that prayer and fasting is the way of interceding for those who are demon-possessed. But the disciples didn't have the time to fast. The primary goal of fasting is intimacy with God. This intimacy enables us to be more sensitive to Him and His will. This intimacy enables us to recognize the false from the real. The idea of fasting has always been a voluntary restraint from food in order that we might give our hearts to the Lord more fully. It has never been about our performance, it has always been about our yieldedness to the Lord and His will. So, rather than being driven by the need for food, we do well to be led by God's Holy Spirit in our everyday lives. When we do this, we position ourselves to be defined by God most. This is the eternal life the Lord Jesus came to deliver to us. As a result of learning to tap into this life through our growing intimacy with God, we will begin to understand life in the way He intended it to be.

Matthew 17:14-18

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14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." 17 Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. ~ Matthew 17:14-18

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 17 where on Mount Hermon the glory of the Lord was overwhelming. Meanwhile, down in the valley, darkness was in full view. The disciples who had not gone up the mountain with the Lord could not cast a demon from a man's son. They had previously cast out demons and healed the sick, but this time they could not. They had demonstrated on several occasions that they struggled to believe during the feeding of the 5,000, the feeding of the 4,000 and during the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Their faith had not developed beyond the kind that trusts God when life is going well. Such small faith is not uncommon today.  

In v.14-16 of today's passage we read, "14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 'Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.'"

While Peter, James and John experienced the exuberance of the glory of God up on the mountain, the other disciples struggled down in the valley below. Even though they had experienced great success before at casting demons out of people, here, they failed to deliver a man's son from a demon. We must always remember that failure is not always the opposite of success with God. He has often been known to use our failures to bring about His successes. The key is that we learn that He is the One who brings about the success. And, we must be careful to yield to His will and to give Him all of the glory for every success.

As soon as the Lord Jesus arrived on the scene with Peter, James and John, a man ran to Him kneeling down in worship of Him. Due to all of the miracles He had been performing, the people treated the Lord Jesus as if He were God but they had yet to believe in Him as God. The desperate father of the demon-possessed boy addressed the Lord Jesus as "Lord" revealing His deepest respect for the Lord Jesus. He believed that the Lord Jesus could heal his son. As a result, he asked the Lord to have mercy on his son and to instantaneously heal him.

This man brought his son to the Lord Jesus for deliverance. This should be the goal of every father; to get his son or daughter as close to the Lord Jesus as possible. And, even when His followers aren't able to help, we must not relent from bringing them to Him. And, we get them the closest to the Lord Jesus by living out of a meaningful and intimate relationship with the Lord for ourselves. It is much easier for our children to trust and to love the Lord when we are demonstrating our trust and love in Him for ourselves. As the old saying goes, "More is caught than is taught."

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "Then Jesus answered and said, 'O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.'"

According to the other gospels, the desperate father said to the Lord, "I do believe, help my unbelief." Unlike the disciples, the man understood his faith was not great and that is why he confessed it and asked the Lord to intervene where his faith was weak. This man illustrates for us that it doesn't do any good to deny reality. And, we must remember that we will never reach perfection at trusting the Lord this side of heaven. We may be at various levels of spiritual maturity, but all of us are still subject to human frailty with its fears, anxieties and doubts. We simply need to confess the truth and ask for the Lord’s help. The Lord Jesus consistently responds with compassion to those who are honest enough to admit their inabilities and who are humble enough to cry out to Him for help. The Lord Jesus granted the request to heal the man’s son while also strengthening his faith. Our faith becomes greater in amount and depth as the Lord takes us through the various trials of life and we see His faithfulness to fulfill His promises. 

It was out of the father's honesty of his weakness that he cast himself on the Lord. The moment he cast himself in his weakness back on the Lord, his son was delivered. We learn from this father that our focus must not be on us or the problems we face or not even the demon. Our focus must be on the God of the Bible. This sad story is about the importance of believing what God has said and the power that flows from the promises that He has given. This story took place on the heels of the mountaintop transfiguration of the Lord Jesus. It provides a contrast between being defined by the light or by the darkness. The deliverance of the young son took place in the contrast of the disciples mountain top experience and this man's valley experience.

The disciples did not fail because they did not expect anything to happen. They had seen people delivered before from demons. Back in Matthew 10 "they were given the power to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons." When they returned from their assignments, they reported to the Lord Jesus about their success. But this time it did not turn out that way. On this day, they learned that faith is not merely a sense of expecting something to happen. They had faith, but perhaps, the object of their faith had changed from faith in the God of the Bible to faith in the process they were following. Perhaps, they thought that if they followed the right ritual, that the demon would leave. As it was for the disciples, we find it so easy to take our eyes off of the Lord. The Lord Jesus said to the disciples that their faith must be in God Himself, if it is to be effective. 

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour."    

Peter, James, and John saw the greatness and the power of God on Mount Hermon. Down in the valley, the other nine, as well as the crowd, saw His greatness and power in a different way. If we desire to see our faith in Him grow, we must have contrast. We like comfort, yet it is when we are most uncomfortable that we depend upon Him most. We need constant reminders of His greatness and power to keep our faith fueled. It is always His faithfulness that fuels our faith and it will always be. The reality is we live in the valley right now, and we will never see, for ourselves, His greatness and power until we are more and more dependent upon Him. Of course, this is the role of those unwanted trials that come into our lives. Thank God for those trials, because it is through the trials that we are enabled to see Him more clearly and to depend upon Him more deeply.

Matthew 17:9-13

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9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead." 10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 11 Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist. ~ Matthew 17:9-13

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 17 where the Lord Jesus Christ led three of His disciples up Mount Hermon to meet with two Old Testament figures who represent the Law and the Prophets. The presence of Moses and Elijah highlight the fact that the Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of all of the Old Testament. This is why God the Father said, "listen to Him" because He possesses all the answers we seek. I'm sure these three disciples thought life would be easier as a result of going up that mountain that day and I am sure in some ways it was. But, as we grow in our understanding of the culture of God, the greater the difficulties will become. This is primarily due to the fact that our faith does not grow apart from being made uncertain.

I am comforted by the fact that complete understanding is not necessary for following the Lord Jesus. In fact, it is the suspense of following the Lord that makes it so hard and yet life-giving. If we had certainty, we would have no need for faith. It is the nature of faith to be incomplete in our understanding of God and His ways. Faith in the God of the Bible is truly our heart's ability to see God. And, it is the nature of faith to anticipate the next revelation about Him. This is what deepens us in our walk with Him. And, I might add, knowing God and His ways means more than just a conscious effort to avoid sin. It is in the giving of our being to Him that propels us best in our walk with Him.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, 'Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.'"

Peter, James and John, all experienced the exact same event, but of the three, only Peter wrote about it. The Lord Jesus told them not to tell anyone about the vision atop Mount Hermon until His resurrection because after it the world would know that He didn’t come to conquer their political enemies, He came to conquer death. After His resurrection the disciples began seeing everything differently. In fact, they were granted the ability to see spiritual reality rather than the obvious. 

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus didn't make any sense to the disciples because they had no room in their theology for His death on the cross. They believed He was going to usher in His political and economic kingdom with force and with might. But, God does not do things like we do them. His is a kingdom that is inside out and upside down. In fact, as is underscored in the gospel according to Mark, the Lord Jesus Himself is the Servant who rules and the Ruler who serves.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "And His disciples asked Him, saying, 'Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?'"

As they came down Mount Hermon that day, the disciples had a discussion. They entertained their questions, and eventually, they brought those questions to the only One with the real answers. This is discipleship when we are taught by the Lord Himself. Discipleship is not keeping a regimen that requires us to get up at 5:00 am to meet with the Lord. But, if you are wired to have the best discussions with the Lord at that time, go for it. But, do not allow that time to be the only time you have a conversation with Him in your day. We do best to get into the habit of talking with Him as often as we can during each day, for this is the context where He trains us in His ways.

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 Jesus answered and said to them, 'Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.'"

The Lord Jesus clearly stated that the coming of Elijah is two-fold with the first being past tense, he has come already. And, the second is yet to happen, he is coming. The first coming of Elijah was realized in the coming of John the Baptist. When John was being dedicated in the temple at his birth, the priest Zechariah quoted Malachi saying, "This is the one who comes in the spirit and the power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the hearts of the children back to the fathers. Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." John the Baptist was an Elijah-like forerunner of the Lord Jesus, but the prophet Elijah will come, according to Malachi 4, at the end of days "before the great and terrible day of the Lord" which will come at the end of the Tribulation.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist."

The timing of the Lord Jesus coming as their Messiah which means Savior didn’t fit the disciples theology. They expected Him to be in His first coming what He will be in His second. Their timing of the return of the Messiah to restore all things and set up His earthly kingdom was off by 2,000 years. This is the primary reason the religious leaders rejected the Lord Jesus as the Messiah as well. They were blinded by their theology. They also did not understand the unique characteristic of prophecy, that it can have duel meaning and fulfillment. It can relate to both the first and the second return of Christ.  

Biblical prophecy is designed to require of us to walk by faith and not by sight. It always makes sense when looked at in the rear view mirror, but looking ahead is like driving into dense fog. Down in the valley of life we determine to live by that which we experience on the mountain with the Lord. This, I am sure, was the thought of these three disciples. But, following the Lord Jesus is hard, and sometimes, this is good, because if we were so successful at it we would lose sight of our dependency upon Him. 

Dethroning and denying self leads us to the most important revelation of all: the determination to walk with the Lord Jesus. And, we must operate out of the fact that without the cross and the resurrection, there is no good news, there is no salvation, and there is no kingdom. What we love, we worship. When we marry these two ideas of worship and love, we discover the key to discipleship or following the Lord. Learning to love and worship Him is the tool God uses to solidify our souls in relationship to His Son. The deepening relationship that follows provides for us the moorings that enable us to go deep in a love relationship with Him. Discipleship is the deepening of our faith in Him which is learning to see Him with our hearts.

Matthew 17:5-8

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5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid." 8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. ~ Matthew 17:5-8

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 17 where the Lord Jesus has led Peter, James and John up Mount Hermon to meet with Moses and Elijah through whom God gave us the Law and the Prophets. He was transfigured before these five so that the disciples would be more convinced of His identity. The Lord had Matthew to open his account of this gospel with the words, "After six days." God gave to Moses revelation on Mount Sinai where a cloud covered the mountain for six days, and on the seventh day God called to Moses from the midst of the clouds. Both Moses and Elijah were on Mount Sinai. Elijah was specifically on Mount Horeb which is part of Mount Sinai. That was on the heels of running from Jezebel and when he arrived at the mountain he heard the still small voice of the Lord.  

In v.5 of today's passage we read, "While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!'"

As Peter was still making his suggestion that they should remain on the mountain indeterminately, the Father spoke from heaven. Yet again, Peter missed the mark. He missed the mark because he wasn't all that often defined by the Father. It was at that point that the Father defined the Lord Jesus as His beloved Son in whom He was well pleased. Our Heavenly Father spoke directly about and to the Son on three specific occasions in the Gospels: at His baptism, at His transfiguration, and in response to the Greeks' request to see the Lord Jesus later. In these instances, a divine voice from heaven declared the Lord Jesus as His beloved Son, confirming His identity and authority to the various audiences. 

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid."

When the disciples witnessed the Father speak to and of the Son, they fell down in worship because they knew God to be infinitely holy. They also knew themselves to be hopelessly sinful. They felt naked and exposed before God. Similarly, after Adam and Eve sinned, they saw that they were naked. And they covered themselves and they ran off and hid themselves from God. 

After God spoke only to the Lord Jesus, the disciples only worshipped the Lord Jesus. When Peter had suggested three tents for the three, he placed Moses and Elijah on the same par with the Lord Jesus. This is why spoke to and of His Son as He did. Peter had listened to Moses and Elijah his whole life, and their message was the same: worship God only.

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "But Jesus came and touched them and said, 'Arise, and do not be afraid.'"

It was then that the Lord Jesus touched the disciples. The Lord Jesus touched Peter’s wife’s mother on the hand and took away her fever. He touched the eyes of two blind men and gave them sight. He touched the ears and the tongue of a deaf mute and gave him hearing and speech. He even touched a leper to make him clean. That day the man who was full of leprosy availed himself to the Lord Jesus. His desperation led him to worship the Lord first before he made his request of Him. He did this because he understood the soul is more important than the body. It was then that the Lord Jesus touched him. Since the leper had not felt the touch of another human for quite some time, when the Lord Jesus touched him he felt much belonging.

Like this man and the disciples, we all want to belong. True belonging only happens when we embrace our imperfect selves and avail ourselves to the touch of God. Belonging is the essence of life. Everything else rests on it. Every other gift celebrates it, in its own way. His touch of us proves we belong to God. And, like the disciples that day on that mountain, until we recognize this, we will never know our place in this world or the one to come.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only."

Moses and Elijah were gone because they are not equals with the Lord Jesus. Simon Peter had earlier confessed the Lord Jesus to be the Christ and the transfiguration underscored the fact that He was the Christ. But, when they went down from the mountain and into Jerusalem to the cross, the Father spoke the loudest. Oh, He didn't speak with words but He spoke loudly through the darkness that came upon the whole earth for three hours. He also spoke loudly through the earthquake and the tearing of the Temple curtain from top to bottom. And, the Father spoke most loudly through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. At His first coming, the Lord Jesus came to be the King over our sin. At His second coming, He will come to be the King over all of His creation.

Matthew 17:1-4

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1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." ~ Matthew 17:1-4

Today, we transition into Matthew 17 where we see the event the Lord Jesus had previously predicted that there would be certain disciples who would see the coming of the kingdom of God before they died. The disciples thought the Lord Jesus was saying that He was about to set up a political kingdom on earth immediately. Like us, they had eyes but they had difficulty seeing and they had ears but they had difficulty hearing. It is so hard to get beyond the old saying "seeing is believing." With God seeing with our hearts is believing. I love the words given to us by Kevin O’Brien who said, "If we persist on the journey, with its signposts in the form of questions, we might discover something remarkable: this God whom we seek and question is actually seeking us more."

Six days after the events in Caesarea Philippi the Lord Jesus took Peter, James and John up a mountain in elevation of 9,000 plus feet. The mountain presented practical lessons which are designed to yield sanctification in the life of the disciple. I'm reminded in the Bible the number six represents incompleteness. According to Luke's gospel they went up on the mountain to pray. There is no better answer to our  incompleteness than prayer. At the bottom of the mountain it was sunny and predictable while at the top of the mountain it was snowy and most unpredictable. And, the Lord Jesus took three disciples up the mountain in order to pull the curtain back allowing them to see the really real. Such is the nature of our faith in the God of the Bible, and, these three saw the kingdom come.

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light."

Six days after Simon Peter acknowledged the Lord Jesus to be the Son of God and the first time the Lord Jesus openly told His disciples that He would die in Jerusalem, this big event took place. It was on the highest mountain in Israel on Mount Hermon that the transformation of Christ took place. The Lord Jesus and His disciples had just departed from Caesarea Philippi, a place of much spiritual confusion. It was fitting that the promised transfiguration took place on Mount Hermon which is just above 9,000 feet sea level. Always triumphing over the kingdom of the evil one is the kingdom of the Christ.

In v.2 is used the Greek word from which we get our English word "metamorphosis." It is used to describe the transformation which was more than a change in the appearance of the Lord Jesus. Similar to a caterpillar that emanates from its cocoon and is changed into a butterfly so was the Lord Jesus changed. Peter, James and John saw Him that day on that mountain in His post-resurrected body which was a preview of His post-resurrected form. Peter, James and John had been asleep and were unaware of all that was going on. When they awakened they saw the glory of God rest upon the Son of God and their faith was informed quite a bit more. But, there is no such thing as a Master's degrees in faith. His glory came to them in glimpses. He revealed His glory in glimpses and not in details. And, we think the best revelation comes on the top of the mountain. No! No! No! The best revelation comes when we are in the valley. The faith of the mountain begins with the faith acquired in the valley.

The disciples did not belong in this context. The only way they were there was due to their relationship with the Lord Jesus. This is where faith in the Lord Jesus takes us. Faith in the Lord Jesus takes us to levels that we otherwise would not and do not belong. This is like that which God described of Himself in the Old Testament. He manifested Himself in the Old Testament as light. Throughout the Scriptures, light is synonymous with eternal life. The Lord Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." And, while on that mountain these three disciples were given an incredible glimpse of eternal life. This is what eternal life looks like when it is translated into light. And it permeated through His transfigured body so that literally He was ablaze like a flame from the sun at its peak. Throughout the Bible, light is used as a metaphor for purity, holiness, and divine truth. The purity of Christ was vividly illustrated through the imagery of light, emphasizing His sinlessness, moral perfection, and divine nature. This concept is woven throughout the Bible, highlighting Christ as the ultimate embodiment of purity and righteousness.

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him."

On Mount Hermon that day, God provided for these three disciples an audio-visual to authenticate His Son in their eyes further. Moses was there representing the Law and Elijah represent the Prophets. The purpose of the audio-visual was to show that the Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. In addition to many other things, Moses and Elijah represent the two ways by which people enter heaven. Moses entered through the normal, natural process of death while Elijah, on the other hand, was caught up to heaven without death. We will enter heaven through the means of death or by the rapture.

The Lord Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah of how He would leave the earth by means of the cross and the resurrection. Moses perhaps spoke of how the Lord Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament sacrifices which the Law demanded, picturing His death that would follow. Elijah, perhaps spoke of how the Lord Jesus was the Promised Messiah who would free us from the penalty and power of our sin and ourselves.

This mountain top experience took place about six months before the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. The crucifixion took place at Passover which means it was the springtime of the year. God's timing placed this event during the month of October, the very month that the Feast of Tabernacles takes place. The Feast of Tabernacles encouraged the Jews to look back to God's provision particularly for them while they were in the wilderness, and, it encouraged them to look forward to the Millennium when they will live in complete peace. During the Feast of Tabernacles, Israel celebrated what God did and they anticipated what God will do at the end of time as we know it. According to the Old Testament prophet Zechariah, during the Millennium, we will join the Jews in keeping the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem annually.

In v.4 in today's passage we read, "Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.'"

Peter was so clued in to the really real that he lost sight of himself. He had no thought of himself and he wanted to make tents so that the Lord Jesus, Moses and Elijah could remain there for an indeterminate amount of time. But, that is not God's goal for His people to remain on the mountain top. Oh, we need the mountain top experiences! But, real reality is really discovered in the application of the mountain top to the valley. Peter's reaction highlights the fact that the Lord Jesus is the fulfillment that we have all longed for all of our lives, and, this is the point of our sanctification. The conversation the Lord Jesus has with Moses and Elijah was about His cross. It is only through the cross of the Lord Jesus that we have a correct understanding of who we really are and why we are here and where we are going. 

God had used Moses as His instrument to introduce the whole sacrificial system to Israel. And, Elijah delivered the message of the prophets that the Messiah would provide salvation through His death for sinners. As we grow in our understanding of God's heart for us, He will transform us from within. His goal is in changing us is to save us from being conformed to the patterns of this world. As we behold Him in life through His Word, we will be transformed by His Spirit. This is sanctification, the process by which our minds, wills, and emotions are being defined more and more by the God of the transfiguration. 

Matthew 16:26-28

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26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. 28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. ~ Matthew 16:26-28

Today, we conclude our study of Matthew 16 where the Lord Jesus revealed, for the first time, the startling revelation that He was going to Jerusalem to die on a cross. On the heels of that explosive announcement, the Lord Jesus began to give to His disciples a portrait of the disciple. The disciple is one who is growing in the discipline of being defined by God. Being defined by God translates into obedience. Of course, our obedience to God will never be perfect, but the disciple will grow in his yieldedness to God. In fact, he gladly is defined by God's culture to the degree that he recognizes that the things of this world aren't real. This process is known as sanctification which will increasingly become the means by which the disciple is taught what is really real. 

In v.26 of today's passage we read, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

This verse is best understood in the context of the previous verse which reads, "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." It is obvious that the life that is lost here is the false life that we have been led to believe yields ultimate satisfaction but the only life that brings true satisfaction is the life the Lord gives us. Simon Peter thought he had arrived when he was the first to acknowledge the Lord Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. That is until he tried to prevent the Lord Jesus from going to the cross. Peter did this because his definitions did not align with God's. This is why discipleship is necessary, in order to redefine our understanding of life. This, we know to be sanctification.

Discipleship is the primary tool that God uses to bring about our sanctification which is the process through which we acquire God's wisdom. Sanctification is all about acquiring God's way of thinking and living out of His culture in this world. Note the usage of the word "soul." The Lord Jesus used it to draw a distinction between it and our spirit. Our soul is made up of our mind, will and emotions. Those who are willing to be defined by the Lord Jesus will find the life they have always longed for and as they find they will be surprised by how counter-cultural God is to our natural way of thinking. His life is an abundant life that satisfies in ways that we could not before imagine.

When we lay down control of our lives, we discover He gives them back with so much more added to it. When we sacrifice our preferences, we discover that our hearts are awakened even more to God and His ways. As this happens our eyes are opened to the truth and we begin to learn that through the process of sanctification we gradually learn to dethrone self from being the god of our lives. The idea isn't denying things for ourselves, the idea is that we have come to the place where we are not living for ourselves anymore. It means that we are gradually learning to dethrone ourselves from the throne of our lives, giving to God the place of the decision making. We will never be perfect at this, this side of heaven. But, the more we dethrone self, the more God will express Himself through our yielded lives. 

Following the Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate adventure of them all. In fact, it is the greatest of all adventures because we grow in our experience with Him. The Lord Jesus will always call us beyond ourselves. And, as His followers, we will struggle with serving two masters which have access to our souls. Inside the believer in Christ are the Spirit of God and the flesh. The flesh is the wicked desires within us which will always make life about us. The indwelling Spirit of God will always push God's agenda in our lives through which we will experience the transformation that we all long for. In fact, this is why we long for heaven.

In v.27-28 of today's passage we read, "27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. 28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

At His first coming the disciples expected the Lord Jesus to set up a very different kingdom. The Lord Jesus surprised the disciples daily, just He does you and me. The surprise is most often due to our poor theology. This explains why the Jews looked at Gentiles with contempt because they were unable to see that God had always had a heart the Gentiles. The disciples expected the Lord Jesus to set up a political kingdom here on earth but they were not regularly defined by God. Those who are being defined by God realize that God's work with the Jews was and is different than His work with the Gentiles. Here, the Lord Jesus confirmed for His disciples that the kingdom they expected was coming later. In fact, He will bring it at the end of the Tribulation. And, in that kingdom God will give to each believer certain responsibilities based upon the yieldedness to Him that we embraced while here on earth as believers.

The Lord Jesus assured the disciples that some of them would see the kingdom before they died. This happened on the Mount of Transfiguration when Peter, James and John witnessed the glory of God come upon the Lord Jesus. On that mountain the Lord Jesus spoke with long-dead Old Testament figures Moses and Elijah who represented the Law and the prophets respectively. Both, the Law and the Prophets point us to the Lord Jesus Christ who is the fulfillment of them both.

Essentially, the fulfillment of the law and the prophets by the Lord Jesus is about revealing its true purpose and significance. That is, He is the embodiment of the law and He fulfills the prophecies. By doing so He not only underscores His identity but establishes the means by which we are afforded a personal relationship with God. This is unfathomable that the God of all creation would think of insignificant you and me in such a way. It only shows what a mighty God we gladly serve having been redeemed and regenerated by His very life.

Matthew 16:24-25

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24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." ~ Matthew 16:24-25

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 16 which has a few firsts. These firsts include the Lord Jesus' first encounter with the Sadducees, the first prediction of His death, the first prediction of His resurrection and the first confession by Simon Peter that the Lord Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the Living God." These "firsts" come in the context of learning what it means to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus. We do not become disciples in order to become sons of God, we become sons of God in order to be His disciples.

In v.24 of today's passage we read, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."

This passage provides for us some of the characteristics of a disciple. Some have said that if the Lord Jesus is not Lord of all of your life then He is not Lord at all. This quote sounds good but it is inconsistent with the Scriptures. The context is key here in today's passage because the Lord Jesus was in the middle of teaching His disciples about discipleship, not sonship. We are not saved because we deny ourselves certain things and take up a cross and follow the Lord Jesus. We are made right in the eyes of God only through believing that the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross paid the penalty for that which separated us from God in the first place and that is our sinfulness. But, after we have become sons of God, then we become disciples of the Lord Jesus. The first is all about our justification and the second is all about our sanctification.

Now, the four gospel accounts were written that we might believe that the Lord Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that believing in Him we might have life through Him. We unlock the kingdom or the rule of God in our lives with the gospel. If we want to follow Him or be His disciples, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. By no means do we follow Him to provide forgiveness of sin for anyone. Oh, we can choose not to deny self, take up our cross, and follow Him but that will only make us miserable. That is if we are born again and have entered into a personal relationship with Him through His work on the cross.

Discipleship is a tool to accomplish our sanctification which involves daily discipline on our behalf. It was once said "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep (this life and all the pleasures it offers), to gain what he cannot lose (our eternal life through Christ.)" We learn to follow the Lord Jesus one step at a time, one a day at a time. Following the Lord Jesus or walking through life with Him at the helm our lives requires of us self-denial. Discipleship is not about our comfort or our self-fulfillment. The idea that we should have no troubles and our salvation is a guarantee of health, prosperity, and happiness, is just not consistent with His Word. When our theology is God-centered and not man-centered, we will see this world as He does and we will fulfill our calling, transcendently, as we are being defined by God.

The phrase "Take up your cross" was understood by every Jew who heard it. They knew that the cross was a cruel tool of death. Crucifixion started first with the Persians and then Alexander the Great introduced the practice to the Greeks, where it was picked up by the Romans. The Romans started using it around the time the Lord Jesus was born. In fact, the Romans perfected it as a punishment designed to maximize pain and suffering. It wasn't about killing somebody, it was about killing them in a really horrible way. Someone who was crucified suffered the maximum amount of pain. 

To deny self is to deal a death blow to our selfish desires. In God's economy, we live by dying. According to God's way of thinking and living, we are the living dying. Living to Him and dying to self is at the epicenter of discipleship. When we say "yes" to the leading of His indwelling Holy Spirit and say "no" to our flesh or our sinful desires, we experience His life. In Ephesians we are told that we have been blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing. As we transcend and gain the transcendent view of the Lord Jesus and follow Him, we will see that He uses all things in our lives for our good, even the bad.

In v.25 of today's passage we read, "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." 

According to God's culture the follower of the Lord Jesus Christ gains by giving. This has nothing to do with being made right with God, we can't earn God's favor. This has everything to do with accessing the life that the Lord Jesus died to give us now. And, His life is transcendent and full of wisdom. Since the author of our salvation was made perfect through suffering, so must we but not to earn our rightness before God. No, we do this because we have been made right before God through the cross of the Lord Jesus. When we experience His kingdom and His wisdom, we grow in His wisdom and His holiness.

Now, a disciple is not someone who simply gets a new priority, a disciple is one who finds a new identity. This involves the gift of God's holiness applied to us through the Lord Jesus. The mark of a disciple is his ability to hear the Master’s voice and to be defined by Him! This is what enables him to shirk the definitions of this world which are most often contrary to the Lord's. The more we are defined by the Lord the more we will live according to His culture. The world screams at us, but the Lord Jesus whispers. Few hear His voice. Fewer still open the door to the leading of His Spirit to be defined by Him in such a way that the world will see our witness and be drawn to the Lord Jesus for themselves.